New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
SUNDAY EDITION.
JAN. 2, 1887.
UNHAPPY COREA.
SOME OF THE REASONS Why SHE Is so
FAR BEHIND TIE TINES

"""H VI lHE REASONS Why SHE Is so
FAR BEHIND THE TINES.
lfRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or r,r rv,p,xv,
People ssk why Corca s so far bebind tSs on 9TH.
Mongolian Powers in civilization The reason tbr..-
fold: First, geographical second, historical: third
social 1t 10 surprise to some that Corea living a.
she does between two great Powers Japan and China.
ana almost directly in The limo of traffic between them
snou'u DC said TO be at geographical Disadvantage
out SO Is Tor several reasons. The progress which
China and Japan have made has been due Iar,e IN
the commercial relations which they have established
with the Western world and with each other To be-
sure missionary labor have been powerful but amonr
1" hundreds OF millions of China the work OF missions
still on the outskirts while foreign traffic penetrates
to the very heart, ana people drinking their tea
and wearing their silks all over the civilized world.
Bot with the wealth of China and Japan so easily
accessible, who would 10 send his sblD to Corca
TO collect the few hides and skins which the natives
can furnish 1t would be "ca.rying Goals to New
CASTLE" while Texas hides filling the market Not
only this but the coast of Corea is deeply udcnted
a. frinRed with perfect labyrinth of islands, 20
Il he Emperor of Corea Is called the King of Ten
II and Islands" Lo,k at the map OF eastern Asia,
aud you will see that he guilt formed by the projection
OF the Corean peninsula into the Yelo Sea is some
what similar to the Bay of Fundy and the direction II
ocean currents is such that the tide is forced up
between Corea and China The result is that all
along the western coast of Corea there tides which
rise from thirty 10 forty feet. There are therefore
added to the difficulties of approach the natural
accompaniment of high ties, namely, miles rpou
miles OF mud flats. shutting channels AMI dense fogs
An incident occurred only last summer which shows
tho danger. One of the line steamers o log stopped
Tor of rocks and slands. Tho echo of her whistle
told OF sOmeth ny dead ahead. She crept along
toward II till suddenly there oomed up hes de her.
black and cold the sheer precpics OF rocky slet
4 4. olxr ka-n Ill "a
the extre of Captain Hussey, of Salem Ma,s,
who had her in charge. The vessel within
twenty OF the side Of the rock and then backed Of
and waited till the mist rose Imagine her position in
such waters during .yphoon, which is likely TO
at any hour during the summer months. During the
obb and flow OF tides the water rushes throug h this
mesh Of islands through mill.raee. ami all the
native craft are wholly at its mercy
The historical reason Tor the backwardness of Corca
today il familiar to most people She has been during
the last centuries or moro the bone Of contention
between Japan and China the Sighting ground OF these
two naiiDns; and the armies of each drew from tho
territory their sustenancc by plumber and tho
nation always been kept down to tbs alton
pOiut. There q time when COrea lar in
advauce OF Japan in culture and art but when japan
acquired the requisite strength she conquered and
literally transplanted the whole colony OF CDrean
arti- ans, who made the fine pottery from which the
japanese learned their art Corean art is related
japanese precisely as the Greek s related to the
Italian Conquest tran pianted not only the worAs OF
art hut transplanted the art well. In the past
China and Japan have been the vamoiIcs whIoh have
sucked the blood OF Corean art and power aud with
them her ambition. What can the world expect or
ask of nation OF people who have been rearel the
firm belief that just beyond the frontiers is power
which will step in and nip in the bud any effort toward
advancement in any direction Ii she accumulated
money China swallowed IL. II she fostereC the arts,
Japan ptersd both tho product and tue producer.
The third Tor the position OF Corca to-day is
the social one One of the most dangerous things that
can be done to the people of any nation let them
feel that they not secure in the possession OF tho
fruits OF their own toll But this is where Corea is
to tlay The Government is run not by an equal and
Just apportionment OF taxes either on the real estoe
basis or any other, but the farmers of the land are
deliberately robbed. Would man Till his ldud and
ont OF his savings buy ueI land ard so accumulate
He is watched until his harvest Is ripe and then tho
Governmen official comes down on lm, and tokes ali
but just enou h to keep h" and his family I'll tho
ne xt seasons crop Is ripe. Coreln farmers
tolls and thew shortly come To that the Pa-t OF
wisdom IL TO raise Just enough tor themselves aud
their families and no more. Government ofeia; are
salaried by spporoning TO each certain tract OF Land,
and from The owners and tllers OF that land they
expected to squeeze" their salaries and they do i5
every time, for they backed by the Government
What Corea needs is to have her eyes opened to the
fac. that the prosperity OF me nation can ~ read IN
crashed and competition discouraged long wall she
continue to grope in the dark. But she viii never
learn the lesson until the fear OF fore IN oppression Is
removed until she becomes sure that Russia on tho
side is willing to fore2o the possession OF her TERRI
tory aid therefore China will not be continually
harvesting her with the tear OF an in ,asion 20 balk
Russia in any scheme for appropriaog her soil. Such
state OF uncertainty and fear deprcc,ates the value
OF real estate and strikes at the very root Of
national prosperity.
A, one time last summer reports were circulated in
this city that Corea being sold into Russian hands,
and the report reached China. Immediately the Prime
Minister of that Empire received orders u forward
troops and glnboats TO COrea, and II 1t had not
happened that the Prime Minister of China had somo
special control of the Corcan supervision the troops
would have been sent on and this being breach Of
the agreement between Jap1n and China. the former
would have followed suit and the old tragedy would
have been enacted again of China-Japancse war
on Corean soil. But good fortune would have it,
Ii Hung Chang did have power to delay the troops
lonq enough to telegraph and find that the rumors
were entirely untrue and the war was avoided. Now
any one can that there was very narrow margin
between war aud peace for Corea. aud such narrow
escapes are not good for nations growth.
A request was sent some time ago by tire COrean
Government TO the United States authorities at Wash
uctou asking that he sent out Lcre TO take
charge of q Government school and some others 10
teach military tactics. The United States compiled
with the former part of the request. and the Govern
ment school Is approved by the liberal Coreans
success but the latter part of the request ignored
and the Corean people feeling they do strong
leaning toward America, wonder at IT, The American
residents in Seoul will be sorry to see the good feeling
that now exists toward their Government set aside
because America is unwilling TO do favor which
would cost her nothing but would be such d boon TO
C0rea.